Automatic air and steam brake



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. J. GOSGROVE.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM BRAKE.

No. 343,230. Patented June 8, 1886.

INVEWTOR Ma /"d 'Jatiqrave.

-.dttorney n. PETERS, Pmwumu mr. Washlllgion. n. a

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. J. OOSGROVE.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM BRAKE;

We 4 WITH U INT Em dmmzJ @Wawy .dttorney 6 UNITED STATES PATENT fitment.

EDlVARD JAMES COSGROVE, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM BRAKE.

QPECIL'FICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,230, dated June8, 1886.

Application filed October 13, 1885.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, EDWARD JAMEs Cos- GROVE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State ofGeorgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Air andSteam Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to improvements in automatic air or steambrakes; and the novelty consists in the peculiar construction andcombination, arrangement, and adaptation of the various parts forservice, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specificallypointed out in the claims.

The invention is particularly designed as an improvement upon the devicepatented to me on the 14th day of July, 1885, and numbered 322,042; andit has for its objects, among other things, to provide a regulator whichshall apply the brakes to the tender and cars and to the drive-wheels ofthe locomotive in dependently of each other or simultaneously, as may berequired; to provide means for air tomatically operating the brakes bykeeping the connection between the driver and train brakes open; toprovide for the escape of the air from the cylinders and connectionsfrom the driver-brakes when they are released, and to improve the devicecovered by the hereinbefore-mentioned patent in minor details ofconstruction.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly insection, showing the relative arrangements of the valves, my improvedregulator, and the various supplypipes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe engineers valve having my improved regulator applied. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of my invention,partly in section, to more clearly show the construction and relativearrangement of parts. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of parts of myimprovements detached from the. regulator and engineers valve. Fig. 8 isan end elevation of my improvement detached from the ordinary engineersvalve.

Like letters of reference in the several figures of the drawings denotecorresponding parts.

Serial No. 179,809. (No model) Referring by letter to the drawings, Adesignates the ordinary engineers valve of the class known to the art asthe Westinghouse Engineers Valve.

As in the patent hereinbefore referred to, B designates the operatinghandle or lever to the valve A.

O designates the pipe connecting with the reservoir (not shown) ofcompressed air or steam and with one of the ports with the valve A.D-designates a pipe that leads from said valve A and supplies air orsteam to the pipe leading to thebraking apparatus of the tender andcars.

E designates a pipeconnecting at one end with the pipe D and at itsother end with one of the ports of my improved regulator, and this pipeconveys air or steam from the pipe D to the said regulator, and F is asupplypipe which connects at one end with the other port of my improvedregulator and leads to the ln'aking-cylinders of the locomotive drivewheels to supplyairorsteam to thelatter from the regulator.

G designates my improved regulator having an arm, G, said arm being cutaway or bifurcated at its lower end, as at g, to fit upon a stud orshoulder, g", of the engineers valve A. This arm G is held in positionon the valve A by a standard, H,which supports said valve, and a nut,11, which is screwed on the outer threaded end of the shoulder 9'. (Notshown.)

My improved regulator G comprises a middle or body portion, I, and twoarms, I 1

arranged on each side thereof andhaving passages or ports M,respectively, which communicate with the opening or passage i -of I thebody I. (See Fig. at.) The arms I Pare bent or formed into elbow shape,and have connected thereto the pipes E F, respectively, to receive andsupply the air or steam from the pipe D to the cylinders of thedrivewheel-braking apparatus, as will be very readily understood.

j and having a shoulder, k, adapted to bear against the' face of thetube, as shown. The plug or nut is provided wit-h a bore or passage, k,in which the end of a valve-stem, L, is adapted to fit.

L designates a stulfing-box having an exterior threaded portion adaptedto fit in tube j and having a central passage, Z, through which passesthe stem of the valve I.

The body I of the'regulator is provided with a valveseat, m, for thevalve Z of a rod, L, the forward end of which is reduced. This reducedportion of the valve-rod has a coiled spring, I", which beais againstthe valve 1 and the inner wall of the passage or bore of the plug K,thus forcing the valverod outwardly and keeping the valve-on the seat inthe body 1, the extreme outer end of the valve-rod passing through thestuffing-box and having a head, Z, screwed or otherwise affixed thereonin any suitable manner andadapted: to be operated upon by the lever ofthe valve A to open or close the communication between the -driver andtrain brakes to operate or shut them ofl simultaneously, as will morefully appear hereinafter. The. head of the handle or lever 13 ispreferably enlarged, and it is rigidly connected to the stem, of thevalve A to operate the same, and in my improved device I provide saidlever with two cam-surfaces, M M, adapted to operate or bear against thehead or'knob of the valve-stem L.

If desired, the cams may be cast or formed in one piece with the lever;but I prefer to make the cal'nsin one piece and independent of thelever, to which they are detachably secured by means of screws or boltsM adapted. to pass through said cams. and into threaded sockets in thevertical faces of the lever, said lever being cut away toprovideshouldersM and; rounded, as shown, against, which said cams fitsnugly andsecurely and without danger of movement or. play, as will bereadily understood.

When the cam-lever is in the position shown, in Fig. 3 at 1;, the cam Mbears against the head of the valve Z and forces it inwardly, as shownin dotted lines, thus releasing the brakes of the tender, train, orcars, and'driving-wheel brakes. Whenit is in the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 3 at2, the cams are drawn away from the valve-rod, whichis, automaticallyreturned to its seat and permits the air or steamitopass tothe tender and-train braking apparatus only, the valve Iautomatically cutting otftheair from the drive-wheel-braking cylinderswhenthe pressure of thecam Mis removed, and the coiled spring,inconnection with thevpressure of the air orsteam, forces the valve toits seat; and when the cam lever or handle B is thrown to the positionindicated at 3 in dotted. lines. in Fig. 3, the cam M is brought to bearagainst the valve-rodhead, and forces the valve from itsseat and permitsthe air or steam to passlthrough the regulator to the arm I thereof, andthence by the pipe F to the cylinders of the drive-wheel brakes,

thus simultaneously operating to force the brake-shoes of the tender,the train of cars, and the locomotive drive-wheels into contact with thewheels, as will be very readily understood, this latter-describedoperation taking place only when the pressure of steam or air increasesin the pipes. The arm I of the regulator has a tube or elbow, N,at anangle to its end, with which the pipe F connects, and said elbow N has athreaded end in which fits the case of an escape-valve, N. The inner endof the casing or shell N of the escape-valve is reduced and threaded toscrew into the threaded socket of the elbow I, and said case N has avalve-seat, n, at its extreme inner end, and a shoulder, a, ata, shortdistancev from said valve-seat. The valve-rod O has a valve, 0, at itsinner end, which, rests on the seat n to cut oft the escape of air orsteam, and a short distance below the valve the said rodhas a reducedportiouwhich works in the central passage, n", of the casing N, ashoulder,0, being provided by such reduced portion of the Valve-rod, andwhich rests on the shoulder n ofthe casing when, the valve 0 is on itsseat. At its outer end, the valverod O is threaded to receive a. cap, 0,against which cap and the shoulder a. is adapted; to bear acoiled orspiral spring, 0, to keep the valve normally in engagement with itsseat. The threaded end of the valve shell or casing is provided with anescape-port, 0, which is kept normally closed by the valve 0. Thenthehandle B of the valve A is turned tot-he positionshown at 1. in Fig.

3, to, release the tender, train, and drive brakes, the cam M forces thevalve 1 f rom, its

vseat, and permits the steam or air from the pipe E to-flow into theelbow 1,, and simultaneously with theoperation of the valve Z the leverB, strikes the valve-rod O and forces its Valve 0- from the seat n, thuspermitting the steam or airfrom the pipes E and F to escape throughtheport 0 of the escape-valve shell N, said pipes E F leading from thecylinders of; the, braking apparatus of the train and tender and,locomotive drivewheels, as will be very readily understood.

\Vhen steam-brakes are usedin connection with my improved regulator, theescape-port of has an escapepipefittedor connected there toto convey thesteam from thevarious parts of the apparatusand the cab into the openair. In the use ofcompressed-ain brakingapparatns this educt-pi-pe isnotessential or necessary; but it may be employed, if desired.

In myformer patent hereinbefore referred to, the valve-rod of theescape-valve N was required; to be operated by hand, independently otthe operating-lever of the engineers valve, but this construction I findto beobjectionable for various reasons, and unnecessary.

In my improved regulator the valve shell and 1Od1' are arranged in.such, juxtaposition tothe-operating-handle B of the engineers "alve, sothat when said handle occupies the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 3, at 1,

l'lO

to release the brakes of the cars, tender, and drive-wheels, it willalso come in contact with the valve-rod of the escape-valve N, and forcethe same inwardly and the valve from engagement with its seat, thuspermitting the compressed air or steam from the cylinders of the brakingapparatus to escape through their connecting-pipes and the escape exitor port 0 of the escape-valve N, as will be very readily understood. Itwill be also understood that when the handle or lever B is turned, as at1, Fig. 3, to release the brakes of the tender, cars, and drive-wheels,and to force the valve 0 from its seat to permit the air to escape fromthe cylinders, the valve A is operated simultaneously with the turningof the handle to release all the brakes.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be seen that by my improved devices the braking apparatus of thedrive-wheels is under direct control of the engineer, and that they canbe applied independently of the brakes of the tender and cars; and,further, the brakes of the cars, tender, and drive-wheels can be appliedsi multaneously, when desired or required, by merely turning the handleor lever of the engineers valve, as is usual in this class of devices;and, further, that when the brakes of the various parts of the train arereleased, the air or steam from the cylinders thereof is permitted toescape, the devices for controlling or permitting such air or steam toescape being operated simultaneously with the turning of the lever orhandle B of the ordinary e11- gineers valve.

If the locomotive is provided with steambrakes, and the tender and trainwith airbrakes, the locomotive steam-brakes would operate to apply theair-brakes of the tender and train were the devices arranged so as tosimultaneously release all the brakes of the locomotive, tender, andtrain; and to obviate this difficulty I propose to dispense with or omitthe cam M, so that when the tender and train air-brakes are released thelocomotive steam-brakes are applied or remain inert, and vice versa.

I attach especial importance to simultaneously opening the escape-valvewhen the lever B is operated to release all the brakes, whereby the airor steam from the cylinders of the braking apparatus throughout theentire train is permitted to escape through the port of the escape-valveand the braking apparatus is put in condition for instant use.

Various changes in the form and proportion of parts and details ofconstruction may be made without departing from the principle orsacrificing the advantages of my invention, the essential features ofwhich will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken inconnection with the drawlugs.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatlclaim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an automatic or direct air or steam braking apparatus, thecombination, with an engineers valve and a supply-pipe connectedthereto, of a regulator connected to the supply-pipe leading todriver-brake cylinders and connected thereto direct, and having aspringactuated valve adapted to be operated simultaneousl y with theengineers valve, and to be automatically returned to its seat whenpressure from the operating-handle is released, to cut olfthe supply ofair or steam to one part of the train braking apparatus, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. In a direct air or steam braking apparatus, the combination, with anengineers valve, of a regulator and an escape-valve connected to theregulator and arranged in the path of movement of the lever or handle ofthe engineers valve, and adapted to be operated by said leversimultaneously with the regulator and engineers valve when the lever isturned to release the brakes, whereby the air or steam from thecylinders is permitted to escape through the port of the escape-valve,substantially as described.

3. In an automaticair or direct steam braking apparatus, thecombination, with an engineers valve and a supply-pipe, of a regulatorconnected to the supply-pipe, and having a second or auxiliaryescape-valve, said valve having a spring-actuated valve-rod arranged inthe path of movement of the operatinghandle of the engineersvalve,whereby when said lever is turned to release the brakes of thetrain it willforce the valve of the escapevalve oil its seat and permitthe air or steam from the cylinders to escape, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

tin-Ill an automatic air or steam braking apparatus, the combination ofan engineers valve, a supply-pipe, a regulator mounted thereon, and anoperating handle or lever to said valve,having detachable cams adaptedto operate the regulator, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic air orsteam braking apparatus, the combination of anengineers valve, an operating-handle having cams, a supply-pipe, aregulator having a springaetuated valve and connected to the supplypipe,an auxiliary or escape valve shell having a port in communication withthe regulator and provided with an automatically-returned valve-stemarranged in the path of the operating handle or lever of the engineersvalve, substantially as described.

6. The combination,with an air-brake regulator, of an escape-valve shelldetachably secured thereto and provided with an outletport, and avalve-stem in said shell normally held on the seat therein to cutoffcommunication between the regulator and the escape valve shell,substantially as described.

7. In an automatic or direct air or steam braking apparatus, thecombination of an engincers valve, an operating lever thereto havingdetachable cams, a supply-pipe con- ICO IlO

nected thereto, a regulator mounted on said valve and connected to thesupply-pipe, said regulator comprising a shell, inlet and outletelbow-arn1s,a valve-seat, and aspring-actuated valve-rod and anauxiliary or escape valveshell secured upon one of the arms of theregulator, and having a spring-actuated valve stem arranged in the pathof the operating cam-lever and adapted to be forced from its seat bysaid lever when turned to release the brakes, all arranged and adaptedto serve substantially as and for the purpose described and in themanner set forth.

8. The combination of an enginecrs valve, a regulator or valve on suiply-pipeto d riverbrake cylinders, and arelease-valve for driver-EDXVARD JAMES COSGROVE.

\Vituesses:

A. H. VONDERLIETH, HENRY C. GOODRIOH.

